The largest and heaviest single-seater piston-engined fighter in history, and the most numerous American fighter ever produced, the ‘Jug’ was a hugely successful high altitude escort and a formidable ground attack aircraft.
‘Nellie’ was built in 1945 at Republic’s Evansville factory in Indiana. Serialled 45-49192 the aircraft was built originally as a P-47D-40-RA. Detail of its service with the USAAF is not known, although it did serve with the Air Training Command during the last few months of the War, and was eventually stored at Tinker AFB in Oklahoma with the Air Material Command.
It was restored to full operational status at Hensley Field in Texas 1952, after the Rio Pact had been signed by the USA, and was assigned to the Military Assistance Program in September of that year.
In 1953 it formed part of a group of P-47’s which found their way to the Peruvian Air Force and it gave good service until 1967, initially as a front-line fighter and then as a fighter trainer.